A Night at the Inn

"At this hour, the other inns will likely be in a similar situation."

Overhearing my conversation with Kaen, the innkeeper chimed in. Left with no other choice, we decided to take the room.

"Then, let me show you to your room."

The innkeeper's lips curled into a smirk as he led the way.

Kaen hesitated before following him, and I began to follow as well.

Sierra had been clinging tightly to my back, hugging me from behind while glaring intensely at Kaen.

She pressed her chest completely against my back. I walked on, doing my best to ignore the soft, plush sensation that brushed against me with every step.

After the innkeeper finished guiding us, Kaen and I opened the door and stepped inside.

"For a place that looked so run-down from the outside, the room is surprisingly nice, isn't it?" Kaen smiled brightly, looking around the room.

Sierra also scanned the room, then glared at the bed and muttered softly.

[There is... only one... bed...]

Just as the innkeeper had said, there was only one bed.

First, I unpacked my things in a corner of the room and leaned my sword against the nearby wall.

Kaen was about to sit on the bed to see how soft it was, but she looked down at her clothes, which were covered in blood, and gave up on the idea.

Eager to wash up first, Kaen headed straight toward the bathroom.

"The tub is already filled with water. Would it be alright if I went first?" Kaen opened the bathroom door, peeked inside, and asked me.

"Go ahead," I replied.

With my answer, Kaen stepped fully into the bathroom.

Click.

Soon, the bathroom door closed, and the rustling of clothes could be heard from behind it.

Naturally, she was undressing.

Shhhhh—

The sound of running water echoed, and before long, it turned into the sound of water splashing against skin.

"..."

Should I call this a side effect of my Heightened Senses?

Just by listening to the sound, I could naturally picture exactly what was happening inside.

I brushed my hair back for no reason, trying my best not to focus on the sound.

Blood doesn't wash off as easily as one might think. It would probably take some time.

[Why is there only one bed in a room this spacious... Why...?!] Sierra grumbled, clearly displeased with the situation.

I had no intention of sharing the bed with Kaen anyway.

Kaen might need it, but sleep wasn't a necessity for me.

Thanks to my bracelet, my stamina was overflowing, and I wasn't mentally fatigued either.

Even if I spoke to Sierra now, Kaen, who was washing up in the bathroom, might not hear us. Still, nothing was certain, so it seemed best to avoid talking out loud.

I decided to take this opportunity to check my status window and review my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠progress.

My status window had shown very distinct changes over the past few days.

In particular, there was a massive jump in my level.

Perhaps because of the high experience gain boost, my level had risen significantly in a short period.

The opening of the Labyrinth must have played a major role in this.

Now, I had 6 skill points. Even if I invested 4 points into Ghost Swordsmanship, I would still have a comfortable cushion of 2 points left.

'Considering Sierra's evaluation of the recent battle...'

Even if I raised the level of Reverse Heaven now and tried to learn the Second Form, Sierra wouldn't find it too strange.

My eyes drifted to the luxurious, ink-black coat hanging in the corner of the room.

It was the 'Shroud of Night' I had acquired this time.

Since I wasn't wearing it, it didn't show up on my status window.

'I haven't had a chance to use the Necklace of the Hero's Protection yet, which will be useful against the undead...'

Listening to Sierra's continuous grumbling echoing in my head, I fell into deep thought about what lay ahead.

As I had already experienced, unexpected events were happening frequently.

There would be many more such occurrences in the future.

Even so, I couldn't afford to stop out of fear of a changing future.

It was always best to be prepared for any situation.

Fortunately, I felt I had handled things well so far.

Time ticked away as I reflected on everything that had transpired.

It seemed Kaen was finished; the sound of running water from the bathroom had completely stopped at some point.

The bathroom door opened, and the steam that had filled the room billowed out.

Then, Kaen emerged.

Water dripped from her hair, which was now untied from her usual twin-tails.

Kaen was wearing a bathrobe.

Thinking about it now, it would have been absurd for her to put her blood-stained clothes back on after washing her body clean.

I was glad there was a robe available, but... it was a bit precarious.

The robe failed to completely conceal her alluring figure.

Moreover, because she hadn't fully dried off yet, the thin fabric of the robe was slightly translucent.

It was a rather stimulating sight.

With every movement, it felt as though something was on the verge of being revealed, making it feel even more suggestive than Sierra's revealing outfit.

A freshly washed Kaen gazed at me intently.

To be precise, I could tell her gaze was fixed on the bandages covering my eyes.

After hesitating for a moment in front of the bathroom, Kaen finally spoke.

"...Um, I'm all done. The hot water runs really well...! Thanks to that, I feel like all my fatigue has just melted away."

Though she tried to speak brightly, a hint of shyness lingered in her voice.

From her perspective, since I couldn't see, did she think it would be stranger for her to be overly self-conscious?

She seemed to be deliberately trying not to mind.

Still, she couldn't entirely hide her embarrassment.

"It would be a bit weird to put blood-stained clothes back on... so I just wore this robe. It's fine, right? Ehehe..."

When I didn't answer, momentarily distracted by her appearance, Kaen spoke ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hesitantly and let out a silly laugh.

'Right, I didn't think about her clothes...'

I scratched my head and spoke.

"Once the sun rises, I'll go out and buy some clothes for you to wear temporarily, Lady Kaen. It would be best to wash your current clothes later."

"Yes, that sounds like the best idea, doesn't it?"

Kaen agreed with a soft smile.

The blush on her cheeks showed no signs of fading.

Soon, Kaen approached the bed.

With every step she took, the hem of her robe fluttered.

It was a dizzying, captivating sight.

Kaen sank onto the bed.

"Haaah, it's so soft..."

Her eyes widened in delight, clearly pleased with the quality of the bed.

"Cadet Zeto, you should wash up too...! Shall I draw the bathwater for you?"

Stroking the bedsheets, Kaen looked up at me and asked.

"I didn't get much blood on me, so a quick shower will be enough."

I told Kaen and headed toward the bathroom.

In truth, I was escaping to a place where her dizzying figure would be out of sight.

Click.

After entering the bathroom and closing the door, I was about to take off my clothes when I noticed Sierra staring at me with eyes full of curiosity.

I paused and turned my head toward Sierra, staring back at her.

It was a silent demand for her to stop watching and leave.

[A-Ah, I understand. Wash in peace, my disciple...]

Unable to withstand my silent pressure, Sierra stammered and quickly slipped out of the bathroom.

No matter how close we were, I couldn't let Sierra watch me bathe.

My body was one thing, but... I was also a bit reluctant to take off my blindfold in front of her.

I could just manage my gaze carefully, but... I didn't really feel like it.

We had already settled this matter back when we were in the dormitory.

Sierra had promised to remain inside the Demon Blade whenever I was washing.

"Whew..."

I took off my clothes and untied my blindfold.

My blue eyes were reflected in the mirror.

'It feels awkward every time I see them.'

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Nothing out of the ordinary happened while I was washing.

Sierra had only been teasing earlier; she wasn't one to cross the line.

'I guess she really is a master after all.'

Though, as a spirit, she could have easily phased through the wall if she wanted to.

[You certainly took your time.]

The moment I stepped out of the bathroom, drying my wet hair, Sierra emerged from the Demon Blade and threw herself into my arms.

Then, she naturally climbed onto my back.

Glancing at the bed, I saw that Kaen was already asleep.

I had expected as much.

She had fought a battle late into the night and then taken a relaxing bath.

Sitting on such a soft bed, it was only natural that she would lie down and drift off.

Moreover, knowing how much she loved to sleep, it was a miracle she had managed to stay awake for this long.

As she lay on the bed, her robe was precariously loose, looking as if it might slip off at any moment.

Approaching the bed, I looked down at Kaen, who was sleeping soundly in a completely defenseless state.

It would be dangerous for me if her robe slipped any further, so I pulled the blanket over her to cover her up.

[It seems there is no place for my disciple and This Lady to lie down, is there?]

Ignoring Sierra's remark, I sat down on a chair next to the table instead of the bed.

I sat there quietly, watching the moonlight stream through the window and observing Kaen's sleeping face.

Suddenly, Kaen, who should have been fast asleep, mumbled.

"Mmm... Cadet Zeto..."

"...Yes?"

Startled by her sudden call, I stood up and approached her.

"Lady Kaen...?"

"..."

"Lady Kaen?"

"..."

Though I called her name again, there was no response.

Her eyes were tightly shut, indicating she was still deep in sleep.

[She is fast asleep, so leave her be. She is merely talking in her sleep.]

Unable to watch any longer, Sierra's voice echoed in my mind.

'Sleep-talking...'

Well, people do talk in their sleep.

"Cadet Zeto... as I thought... was my body your goal all along...!"

Eventually, Kaen spoke, furrowing one of her eyebrows.

Her eyes remained closed.

Her sleep-talking was so clear that it sounded as if she were awake.

I had no idea what kind of dream she was having, but as the person whose name ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was being called, I couldn't help but feel incredibly flustered.

Soon, Kaen's face flushed red, and she let out a rather suggestive sound.

"Ah... not there... Cadet Zeto... stop... even if it was a promise..."

Kaen squirmed on the bed and kicked off the blanket.

Her voluptuous figure was once again exposed.

[W-What kind of obscene nonsense is she spouting...! Just shut your mouth and sleep!]

Sierra barked at Kaen, flustered.

"..."

I stared at Kaen for a moment before silently returning to my chair.

Even after that, Kaen continued to talk in her sleep... and Sierra stood in front of her, pointing her finger and lecturing her.

'Does she really have to say it out loud to satisfy herself, even when she knows Kaen can't hear her...?'

It was a dizzying situation.

When the words "something this big..." escaped Kaen's lips, Sierra, unable to take it anymore, reached out to touch Kaen's body.

Of course, Sierra's hand simply passed right through Kaen, and she ended up just flailing her arms.

Though I usually told her not to do such things to others, this time, I didn't stop her.

"Ugh... cold..."

Perhaps feeling a sudden chill from the spiritual contact, Kaen wrapped ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠herself tightly in the blanket and finally began to sleep quietly.

[Did you see that? This Lady has protected my disciple. Hmph.]

Sierra crossed her arms and spoke, flashing a proud smile.

Whether what was happening in Kaen's dream was to her liking or if she was actually terrified of it, I didn't know... but it seemed best to keep this as a secret between Sierra and me.